TikTok US venture to collect precise user location data

TikTok's new US joint venture has made changes to its privacy policy that include expanding the type of location data the company can collect from its 200 million American users.The new policy was published after investors closed a deal with TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance on Thursday to run the popular short-form video app's business in the US.The new joint venture said in its updated privacy terms that it may now "collect precise location data, depending on your settings"…

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Stuck between the US and Russia, Canada must prove it can defend its Arctic territory

Canada's Arctic is a massive, treacherous, and largely inhospitable place, stretched out over nearly 4 million square kilometres of territory - but with a small population roughly equal to Blackburn in England or Syracuse, New York."You can take a map of continental Europe, put it on the Canadian Arctic, and there's room to spare," Pierre Leblanc, the former commander of the Canadian Forces Northern Area told the BBC. "And that environment is extremely dangerous."Standing at the defence of…

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Danish PM Mette Frederiksen in Greenland for ‘show of support’

Adrienne MurrayCopenhagenReutersFrederiksen (left) said there was now a "diplomatic, political track" to pursue after a difficult weekDanish PM Mette Frederiksen is visiting Greenland's capital Nuuk for talks with the territory's leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, after a rollercoaster week that saw US President Donald Trump roll back his threats to forcibly take over the Arctic island and agree to further negotiations.Tensions had risen precariously over the past couple of weeks, until a stunning turnaround on Wednesday, when Trump suddenly ruled…

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Trump remarks about Nato troops in Afghanistan are ‘insulting’, says Starmer

Watch: Starmer calls Trump's remarks about Nato troops in Afghanistan "insulting and frankly appalling"Sir Keir Starmer has described President Donald Trump's remarks about British troops in Afghanistan as "insulting and frankly appalling".On Thursday, Trump said that US allies stayed "a little off the front lines" in the conflict and claimed he was not sure Nato "would be there" if the US needed it.Starmer said if he himself had "mispoken in that way", he would "certainly apologise". Trump's words…

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Eyewitness tells of people getting shot

ParniaParnia was visiting family in Isfahan when the protests beganWarning: This story contains details which some readers might find distressing.An Iranian woman who witnessed the bloody crackdown on protests in Iran has described how her neighbourhood turned into a "war zone" as security forces opened fire at crowds with live ammunition.A government-imposed internet blackout in Iran, now in its third week, has prevented many accounts of what has happened from reaching the wider world.But some Iranians who have…

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High stakes but low expectations ahead of Ukraine talks with Russia and US

Sarah RainsfordEastern Europe correspondent , KyivGetty ImagesUkraine wants peace more than anyone in this processNegotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the US are due to meet in Abu Dhabi for their first trilateral talks since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.Senior officials from all three nations are involved, but it is unclear whether they will be in the same room together at any point. And whilst the talks take a new format, the core differences remain the same.The…

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What natural resources does the island have?

Archie MitchellandDanielle Kaye,Business reportersGetty ImagesDonald Trump has made clear he covets Greenland.Now he claims to have secured the "framework" of a future deal, to address defence on the island - a deal that he says includes rights to rare earth minerals.So what natural resources does Greenland have?Greenland is believed to sit on top of large reserves of oil and natural gas.It is also said to be home to the vast majority of raw materials considered crucial for electronics,…

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Russia, Ukraine and US to hold trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi

Watch: Putin and Zelensky both want peace deal, Trump saysRussian, Ukrainian and US negotiators will hold talks in the United Arab Emirates later, in what officials say will be the first meeting attended by all three countries since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion nearly four years ago.The Kremlin confirmed Russian officials would attend the talks following a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and US envoys in Moscow.Russia described those talks as "useful in every respect", but said a…

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Trump withdraws Canada’s invite to join Board of Peace

ReutersUS President Donald Trump has withdrawn an invite for Canada to join his newly constituted Board of Peace, in the latest spat between the North American neighbours."Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada's joining," Trump said on Truth Social in a post addressed to Prime Minister Mark Carney.Carney made headlines this week warning of a "rupture" in the US-led global order. Ottawa also said it…

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Trump sparks anger with claim Nato troops avoided Afghanistan front line

Watch: Labour and Conservative MPs criticise Trump Afghanistan remarksDonald Trump has sparked fresh outrage in the UK after saying Nato troops stayed "a little off the front lines" during the war in Afghanistan.Labour MP Emily Thornberry, the chair of the foreign affairs committee, called it an "absolute insult" to the 457 British service personnel killed in the conflict, while Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: "How dare he question their sacrifice?"Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty, who served in…

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woman escapes Nigeria church abduction

Madina MaishanuBBC Africa, Kurmin WaliBBCSarah Peter managed to escape from the kidnappers despite being hit on the head by one of the attackersThere was a huge plaster on Sarah Peter's head to staunch the bleeding caused by the blow of a gunman's weapon.Sarah, not her real name, was in church in a village in northern Nigeria on Sunday morning when attackers raided the compound to abduct the worshippers and take them away on foot.The 60-year-old was whacked on…

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US unveils plans for development of ‘New Gaza’ with skyscrapers

Getty ImagesThe US plan for "New Gaza" was presented at the World Economic Forum in DavosThe US has unveiled its plans for a "New Gaza" that would see the devastated Palestinian territory rebuilt from scratch.Slides showed dozens of skyscrapers stretching along the Mediterranean coast and housing estates in the Rafah area, while a map outlining the phased development of new residential, agricultural and industrial areas for the 2.1 million population.They were presented during a signing ceremony at the…

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